Country Life says wind turbines are a blot on the landscape

A report by Country Life magazine says areas of natural beauty and historical significance will be "blighted" by the expansion of wind power in the UK.

Areas at risk include Ramsbury in Wiltshire, Bradworthy in north Devon, Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester and Romney Marsh in Kent, it says.

The magazine's claims are made in its 13 May edition.

'Monstrous catherine wheels'

Country Life's editor Clive Aslet said: "These are some of the most beautiful and historic spots in Britain, which will be blighted by 350-foot turbines which can be seen from miles away.

"If even a small fraction of the many hundreds of proposals and applications for land-based wind farms are granted, our diverse and beautiful landscapes, which delight thousands of visitors a year, will be peppered with monstrous, swirling catherine wheels."

The siting of new turbines has provoked opposition from a variety of groups across the UK.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) raised concerns in March after the granting of licences for a new round of wind farms.

There is no form of energy that comes without impact Friends of the Earth

Research was needed to avoid putting wind farms where birds could be threatened by rotating blades, the RSPB said.

Fishermen from east Cleveland claimed their livelihoods were threatened by offshore wind farms, while campaigners in Perthshire, Scotland, and Newtown, Wales, are among those to have opposed projects in their areas.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth said it was in favour of wind farms, provided they were sited sensitively.

"We are generally supportive of the policy on wind farms," a spokeswoman for the group said.